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| Groups Want Minimum Wage Increase |
(IRN)-Putting more money in the pockets of minimum-wage workers is the goal of a new bill at the state Capitol. The goal is to increase the wage from $8.25 to $10.65, then tie future increases to the rate of inflation.
Madeline Talbott, lead organizer for a group called Action Now, says it's a moral issue. "Interestingly enough, minimum wage is not just a self interest issue for low wage workers, which it is," said Talbott. "It's a moral issue for everybody in the state and people see it that way."
Talbott spoke at a statehouse news conference, as did Ron Baiman of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. Baiman was there to refute claims that a higher payroll will hurt businesses. "We do not find that this is the case," said Baiman. "Most, almost all the sectors that are impacted by a minimum wage increase are service industry serving a local market. Therefore this establishes a level playing field for all these businesses. They all have to pay the same minimum wage increase. And that's what the empirical data show that in fact it doesn't cause any businesses to leave or reduce employment in a significant way."
"It is clear we owe our economic malaise not to a lack of capital or labor, not to a dearth of supply side factors, but to a lack of demand. Businesses will not invest because workers don't have income to buy. That's what's going on in our country, and that’s what this bill directly addresses," said Baiman.
"A minimum wage campaign is always a huge challenge because the corporations that pay minimum wage, those employers tend to be huge companies," said Talbott. "So it's a David verse Goliath battle. But we do remember who won that battle, so we're somewhat hopeful."
SB 1565 is the bill in the Senate aimed at boosting the minimum wage.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 02 11 11 by Newsroom |
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